Have You Made Your New Year Revolutions?

Revolutions? Of course, I mean resolutions. Many children in grade school can't quite catch on to the word resolution. I was one of them way back when. Often corrected by my family at this time of year, the concept didn't stick until awhile later. I think the adults gave in and just chuckled, confident I'd catch on eventually.

The tradition of making new year resolutions has been around for millennia. The earliest known instance of the practice dates to the Babylonians about 4,000 years ago. They were also the first people to celebrate the new year with a religious festival. The festival called Akitu, which lasted 12 days, occurred in the middle of March when crops were planted. The people reaffirmed loyalty to their king or crowned a new one. They also promised they would pay their debts and return anything borrowed. If they followed through, the deities would look favorably upon them in the coming year, and the Babylonians would stay on their gods' good sides.

Ancient Rome had a similar practice after Julius Caesar changed the calendar and made the first of January the beginning of the year. The month is named after the two-faced god, Janus. The Romans believed he had the power to look into the past and future. They would offer sacrifices to him, promising good behavior in the new year.

The practice of making resolutions has become mainly secular for most people these days. Lots of us resolve to improve ourselves by losing weight, stopping smoking, exercising more, or taking on a challenge like learning a new skill. The possibilities are seemingly endless. You may plan to treat others well, help where you can, or do more for our Earth.

We need to be good to her. After all, our blue planet is the only one where we and our future generations can live for now. It makes sense not to trash your home.

Read more about new year resolutions at History.com. It's the reference I used.

Make 2019 a really good year.

Happy Writing!